Biochar is increasingly referenced as part of net zero strategies, and for good reason. When used appropriately, it can play a meaningful role in long-term carbon management and environmental improvement.
However, biochar does not deliver net zero outcomes on its own. It does so as part of a system.
Understanding how that system works — and where value is genuinely created — is essential for both producers and purchasers.
Net zero depends on more than production
Producing biochar is only one part of the equation. For biochar to contribute credibly to net zero objectives, several elements need to align.
These include:
- Biochar that is fit for its intended use
- A clear and realistic route to deployment
- Long-term permanence based on where the biochar ultimately ends up
If any one of these elements is missing, the environmental outcome becomes far less certain.
Permanence is not created by intention or proximity alone. It is created by use.
Why deployment matters
Biochar is often discussed in terms of carbon content and production metrics. While these are important, they do not in themselves guarantee long-term carbon storage.
A bag of biochar in storage does not represent permanence.
Nor does biochar produced without a defined route to use.
Permanence emerges when biochar is:
- Incorporated into soil systems
- Encapsulated within materials
- Embedded in applications where removal is unlikely
In all cases, the end use determines whether carbon is genuinely locked away over the long term.
What this means for carbon credit purchasers
For purchasers of carbon credits linked to biochar, this distinction matters.
Value is not created solely by volume, certificates, or headline claims. It is created and maintained by the systems that ensure biochar is deployed, remains in place, and continues to perform as intended.
Questions worth considering include:
- How will the biochar actually be used?
- What system ensures its long-term residence?
- How are assumptions around deployment and permanence managed over time?
These are not questions of compliance alone.
They are questions of value and durability.
A systems-led approach
Biochar can support net zero ambitions when it is approached with realism and care. That means understanding trade-offs, recognising limits, and designing projects around how the material will function in practice.
When biochar is treated as part of a wider system — rather than a standalone solution — it becomes far more likely to deliver the outcomes it is associated with.
A practical perspective
Biochar has a valuable role to play in net zero strategies. Ensuring that role is delivered responsibly depends on aligning production, use, and permanence from the outset.
Getting the details right is not an administrative exercise.
It is what ensures that environmental benefit translates into long-term value.
